tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61370645237219198492017-09-28T10:22:37.638-07:00Fieldwork, Travel, and FoodThe adventures of an archaeologist and a geophysicist.Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.comBlogger538125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-8122938063573993322016-10-08T21:22:00.000-07:002016-10-08T21:22:41.424-07:00Last Survey of the Season<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vtvKmdKEjgc/V_nBovyoQvI/AAAAAAAAF1U/FwS4yTFfqzsz2165fRpqbHP9FWF_FLmgQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vtvKmdKEjgc/V_nBovyoQvI/AAAAAAAAF1U/FwS4yTFfqzsz2165fRpqbHP9FWF_FLmgQCLcB/s400/IMG_0643.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning light</td></tr></tbody></table>The museum has been trying to squeeze in the last field survey of the season before the weather turns cold and nasty. A few weeks ago when we were picking dates, there were really only two days that were going to work for both Ryan (my field assistant) and I - October 6 and 7. I was worried that by October we could be having frequent nasty storms. I need not have worried for those two dates (see sunshine and glassy waters in our photos), but it's a good thing we got the survey done when we did. Tonight a big storm is rolling in.<br /><br />We surveyed a lake on our way to our final destination, and then got dropped off in a bay. We spent one night, and got picked up the next day on the other side of the bay. I'll admit that it was a little chilly and we never got direct sunlight on our second day, but without wind and rain a little cold is very manageable. There were some fantastic bear trails to follow in the woods most of the way, and even though we saw lots of sign, we didn't see any bears up close (we saw two from a distance on the beach). It was a very successful archaeological survey to boot - located two previously documented sites and identified five new &nbsp;ones.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5WcoFlKQem8/V_nBq3o_plI/AAAAAAAAF1k/byBZR6iPORI9CFPMResGITtUo22QHJZxwCEw/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5WcoFlKQem8/V_nBq3o_plI/AAAAAAAAF1k/byBZR6iPORI9CFPMResGITtUo22QHJZxwCEw/s400/IMG_0631.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keller (our pilot) waiting for us on the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QslDrtxlbro/V_nBsy2xpTI/AAAAAAAAF1k/J9l3JFKZ3mE-luWp_4fHdZRil3poUY54wCEw/s1600/IMG_0640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QslDrtxlbro/V_nBsy2xpTI/AAAAAAAAF1k/J9l3JFKZ3mE-luWp_4fHdZRil3poUY54wCEw/s400/IMG_0640.JPG" width="297" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best field assistant ever</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--9xkA1Pu9VQ/V_nDSE_GrGI/AAAAAAAAF1w/_QcR4S_AFTc3GLKZV-t10T2cn7yAPuWoQCEw/s1600/IMG_3631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--9xkA1Pu9VQ/V_nDSE_GrGI/AAAAAAAAF1w/_QcR4S_AFTc3GLKZV-t10T2cn7yAPuWoQCEw/s400/IMG_3631.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking for charcoal in the soil probe</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7xa0i0bFhf4/V_nDSDy0MHI/AAAAAAAAF1w/KkJuxuBsi54mSajGRGM4NyI3eRYgrEJJwCEw/s1600/IMG_3647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7xa0i0bFhf4/V_nDSDy0MHI/AAAAAAAAF1w/KkJuxuBsi54mSajGRGM4NyI3eRYgrEJJwCEw/s400/IMG_3647.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our camp site on a spit</td></tr></tbody></table>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-16028800580960611812016-09-25T08:58:00.001-07:002016-09-25T08:58:06.295-07:00Hiking Sheratin<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iTPV5hjNIfo/V-dw0_PDQfI/AAAAAAAAFzw/0O_VfjcZVi8/s640/blogger-image--1872344961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iTPV5hjNIfo/V-dw0_PDQfI/AAAAAAAAFzw/0O_VfjcZVi8/s640/blogger-image--1872344961.jpg"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;">Kodiak has had an amazing summer that is continuing into fall. Today my cousin and I hiked Sheratin Mountain. We didn't go all the way to the summit, but we did get up into the alpine.</p><p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 15px;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;">I love this hike because it has a long meandering approach with a nice mix of spruce forest and shrubs. Like all hikes in Kodiak, there was hardly anybody else on it.</p><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U3fuIrUtrWI/V-f0CG7cf8I/AAAAAAAAF0I/IZJyxtJ6n2o/s640/blogger-image-1237317858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U3fuIrUtrWI/V-f0CG7cf8I/AAAAAAAAF0I/IZJyxtJ6n2o/s640/blogger-image-1237317858.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sOCCTGcIcYM/V-fz_yH4fuI/AAAAAAAAF0E/yAPzySiWK7g/s640/blogger-image-1844315980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sOCCTGcIcYM/V-fz_yH4fuI/AAAAAAAAF0E/yAPzySiWK7g/s640/blogger-image-1844315980.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Go0xcyJEhJg/V-f0DSl5ekI/AAAAAAAAF0M/KorGVhoDOvI/s640/blogger-image-9393408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Go0xcyJEhJg/V-f0DSl5ekI/AAAAAAAAF0M/KorGVhoDOvI/s640/blogger-image-9393408.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-22746732990661358872016-09-17T16:00:00.001-07:002016-09-17T16:00:23.813-07:00New House and New Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nO6UU-YGIzo/V93I9CnN08I/AAAAAAAAFyw/THkUaKeOLBEnGPldI2vJ281XkZdN8_ngACLcB/s1600/IMG_9954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nO6UU-YGIzo/V93I9CnN08I/AAAAAAAAFyw/THkUaKeOLBEnGPldI2vJ281XkZdN8_ngACLcB/s400/IMG_9954.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yVxWnjr_dOk/V93I-449ZqI/AAAAAAAAFy0/tG_8RkZFPAoUp-FefKNIvfNg9CL64RLvQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yVxWnjr_dOk/V93I-449ZqI/AAAAAAAAFy0/tG_8RkZFPAoUp-FefKNIvfNg9CL64RLvQCLcB/s400/IMG_9956.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />In the midst of a busy summer and big move the blog has fallen by the wayside. In June I accepted a job at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak and in July we bought a house and moved. Ryan is staying at his current job, but telecommuting from Kodiak when he is not in the field.<br /><br />I kept thinking when we got settled in the house (which was almost two months ago now), I'd write a nice blog post ending the blog silence and starting fresh in our new home. But as these things go, we were busy, the house was never tidy-enough for photos, and the longer the blog sat without an update, the more daunting it seemed to write the 'first' post.<br /><br />In the spirit of getting things on the blog, even if they are not perfect - here is the first post from our new home in Kodiak. It's not complete - only photos of the parts of the house I cleaned yesterday are included.<br /><br />The occasion for cleaning the downstairs was my brother and sister are here, and they came over for dinner with my parents and a few friends. Neither of my siblings had been to my house yet. They both walked in and said "I think of one of my friends used to live here." After walking around they both confirmed they'd each had a friend who had lived in this house in high school (two different families). Ryan and I bought the house from someone (else) that we knew. Small town life!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_UMcbeXaYl0/V93I72CIHYI/AAAAAAAAFyk/BF5qkVbyg7oGfeOfdizpDapPKE15aPbRgCEw/s1600/IMG_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_UMcbeXaYl0/V93I72CIHYI/AAAAAAAAFyk/BF5qkVbyg7oGfeOfdizpDapPKE15aPbRgCEw/s400/IMG_0489.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5CO972DKKd0/V93I8BgT7rI/AAAAAAAAFys/qDYv5SpRFhU5SDm3XKHeETqc92LG8WghwCEw/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5CO972DKKd0/V93I8BgT7rI/AAAAAAAAFys/qDYv5SpRFhU5SDm3XKHeETqc92LG8WghwCEw/s400/IMG_0493.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IJp-E13ZB1M/V93I8BdxgNI/AAAAAAAAFyo/rspXl2rCJoc7zWqVDiv8Tia0JvHXc8I1QCEw/s1600/IMG_0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IJp-E13ZB1M/V93I8BdxgNI/AAAAAAAAFyo/rspXl2rCJoc7zWqVDiv8Tia0JvHXc8I1QCEw/s400/IMG_0494.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-36246215429584335992016-04-17T21:30:00.001-07:002016-04-17T21:30:29.869-07:00Biking at Eklutna Lake<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IW8PrDhvXvs/VxRizDt6NlI/AAAAAAAAFlA/hDySd1ZQJSw/s640/blogger-image-1668091061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IW8PrDhvXvs/VxRizDt6NlI/AAAAAAAAFlA/hDySd1ZQJSw/s640/blogger-image-1668091061.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Today was the first really warm spring day. We've had plenty of ridiculously nice days, but this is the first one that really felt like summer is around the corner. It hit 60 degrees in Eagle River and it's only the middle of April! There is no staying home on a day like this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We took our mountain bikes up to Eklutna Lake and rode the full length of the lake. The water seems extraordinarily low and I'm not sure why. The lake is Anchorage's source of drinking water and there is also a hydro power plant, so I'm not sure how much of the lake level fluctuation is due to human control and how much is natural.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It wasn't quite as warm up at the lake as it was at our house, but it will still lovely. The trees are already leafing out here, even more so up at the lake than in Eagle River. I know I haven't lived here long, but this seems a little early for green-up and given our record high temperatures in 2016 so far, I'm not surprised. &nbsp;But I'm not complaining on a day like this.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hffm1-3ytmM/VxRi08dxpOI/AAAAAAAAFlE/HwQcMLYXTdc/s640/blogger-image--1713271718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hffm1-3ytmM/VxRi08dxpOI/AAAAAAAAFlE/HwQcMLYXTdc/s640/blogger-image--1713271718.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AFaR9WBtkCw/VxRi3nVL48I/AAAAAAAAFlM/GniKp1O_HX0/s640/blogger-image-864962699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AFaR9WBtkCw/VxRi3nVL48I/AAAAAAAAFlM/GniKp1O_HX0/s640/blogger-image-864962699.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-acWFalTs5FI/VxRi2IqoLqI/AAAAAAAAFlI/DpNUpwNex1k/s640/blogger-image-1878291207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-acWFalTs5FI/VxRi2IqoLqI/AAAAAAAAFlI/DpNUpwNex1k/s640/blogger-image-1878291207.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wfFb0xdwXa4/VxRi5OL8osI/AAAAAAAAFlQ/J9QOOHNQPq4/s640/blogger-image--462850816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wfFb0xdwXa4/VxRi5OL8osI/AAAAAAAAFlQ/J9QOOHNQPq4/s640/blogger-image--462850816.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-69446564328874093432016-04-16T12:33:00.001-07:002016-04-16T12:33:06.206-07:00C-130 Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uu54IM-t82g/VxKTW3K5JbI/AAAAAAAAFkA/z7Xiv3uZdXo/s640/blogger-image-1239419607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uu54IM-t82g/VxKTW3K5JbI/AAAAAAAAFkA/z7Xiv3uZdXo/s640/blogger-image-1239419607.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hunter and Ryan next to a Coast Guard C-130</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Last week Ryan and I had the chance to tour a Coast Guard C-130. Our friend Hunter is a pilot stationed in Kodiak and hew flew to JBER in Anchorage for the day and had free time to meet up with us. I vaguely recall going in some of the Coast Guard hangars on field trips as a kid, but I think we looked at helicopters. I don't remember ever getting to see a C-130 up close, so this was exciting for both of us.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The C-130s at the base in Kodiak are 1980s models. Going into the cock pit feels like a blast from the past with some new GPS equipment mixed in. They are really amazing planes - they can carry so much cargo and fly with the back door open. The one we toured was configured with passenger seats for the day. I'm glad we got to see this older model. Hunter is soon moving to a different base where he will learn to fly a newer model of C-130. I'm sure eventually these 1980s planes will be phased out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uxMSq-sUo4g/VxKTcWKwbHI/AAAAAAAAFkM/ds3ZguWcFcE/s640/blogger-image--222958116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uxMSq-sUo4g/VxKTcWKwbHI/AAAAAAAAFkM/ds3ZguWcFcE/s640/blogger-image--222958116.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hunter and Ryan in the cockpit</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TJP7Gf-e3Ho/VxKTa-_c0_I/AAAAAAAAFkI/PfQ2S4u2eig/s640/blogger-image-1155594888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TJP7Gf-e3Ho/VxKTa-_c0_I/AAAAAAAAFkI/PfQ2S4u2eig/s640/blogger-image-1155594888.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Passenger seats</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ebptap3e4Dc/VxKTYlZhpzI/AAAAAAAAFkE/1vC3W0A9g4c/s640/blogger-image--724434634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ebptap3e4Dc/VxKTYlZhpzI/AAAAAAAAFkE/1vC3W0A9g4c/s640/blogger-image--724434634.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Ryan really enjoyed seeing this exceptional piece of modern technology (a pencil sharpener) in the cock pit</div><br></div><br></div>&nbsp;</div>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-73664758252023741382016-03-19T23:25:00.001-07:002016-03-19T23:32:15.200-07:00A Review of and Advice for Hiking the O in Torres del Paine National Park<div class="MsoNormal">This post is a review of information I wish I had known before we hiked the O in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. For those who aren’t interested in the hike, it’s probably best to skip this lengthy post. For those who are planning to visit Torres del Paine, I hope it helps, especially the part about the toilets. You can read my other brief post about our trek <a href="http://odellcross.blogspot.com/2016/01/hiking-o-in-torres-del-paine.html">here</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">First and foremost, I would recommend that anyone hiking the full O consider hiking it clockwise. I know that every guidebook and website (except this one!) recommends hiking it counter-clockwise, but I beg to differ. The reasoning I have heard for hiking it counter-clockwise is that you will go through the pass having the easy climb up, and the steep climb down. I actually prefer to go up steep things, rather than down. The prevailing winds also blow from the steep side, so if you climb up the steep side, you will most likely have the wind at your back. Having gone through the pass in a 60mph headwind, I would really recommend doing it the other way. The other reason I would hike it counter-clockwise, assuming you’re starting at Laguna Amarga, is that you will get the crowded part of the trail out of the way first. I would venture to guess that most people taking on the entire O like hiking in solitude and prefer quiet campgrounds to rowdy ones – so why not end your trek with the least-traveled parts of the trail? For us, the first three days of hiking were absolutely lovely while getting onto the W was a bit of a culture shock. Getting that out of the way at the beginning and ending with a serene hike through wildflower meadows would have left a nicer impression as we left the park.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now onto the meat of the hike - we started our trek at Laguna Amarga and hiked directly to Camping Seron, bypassing Las Torres. This was a really lovely hike. On the bypass route we didn’t see a single person and the trail was only lightly worn. When we reached the junction with the trail from Las Torres, we met someone who was also hiking to Camping Seron. He was the only person we saw on the hike.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Camping Seron is a lovely refugio with a grassy meadow. There is no shortage of places to pitch your tent. There is a small covered cooking area with picnic tables off the back of the bathrooms, but campers are also allowed to cook at any of the outdoor picnic tables spread around the camping area. The bathrooms were the nicest/cleanest we encountered on the O. They had flushing toilets (sometimes toilet paper) and showers (I believe they had hot water, but we didn’t shower there). The campground doesn’t really have a store, but it did look like they were selling sunscreen, wine, and soda in the office. They only accepted Chilean pesos at Seron, cash only. This refugio supposedly has meals, although the chalk board listing prices only had prices for breakfast and bread, so I wouldn’t count on anything else. Overall one of my favorite campgrounds on the O.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Between Seron and Dickson is a ranger station where hikers have to check in. It was a nice place to stop for lunch and had nice composting toilets. The hiking times listed on the park map were off for this section – the section between Seron and the ranger station took longer and the section between the ranger station and Dickson took less time than the map indicated. Elsewhere on the trek the hiking times on the map were fairly accurate for us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Refugio Dickson was also lovely. The camping sites are along the edge of the trees so you can get a bit of shade and wind protection, but there is absolutely no shortage of flat grassy space. There is a designated outdoor cooking area with picnic tables, and if it is windy there is an indoor cooking space (we didn’t need it). There are flushing bathrooms at Dickson that were well-maintained (cleaned consistently while we were there), and had toilet paper. The showers are heated by a black tank on the roof. I got the first shower of the afternoon and it turned out the roof water was scalding hot (very sunny day), so I basically just took a cold shower. The store at Dickson was one of the most well-stocked of any on the O. Tons of snack food of course, but also a decent selection of things one could eat for dinner. There were no price tags in sight, which is usually bad news for your pocket book. They let us pay for our campsite in USD though which was nice (we didn’t have many Chilean pesos – long story). From the refugio, you can easily climb down to the shore of the lake and walk along the beach – we even saw a few ice bergs. I highly recommend spending the night at Dickson.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We did not spend the night at Los Perros, but we did use the cooking shelter to eat our lunch. The campground is in the woods and all the camping spaces are dirt, which was a bit of a surprise after the grassy space at Seron and Dickson. It looked like there was no shortage of flat space though. This was also our first experience having to use the cooking shelters. At many of these campgrounds they don’t want people cooking outside because of the wind and risk of starting a wildfire. We found that the cooking shelters just get really dirty with crumbs and spilled food. Los Perros also had flushing toilets and showers that looked decent – not quite as clean as Seron and Dickson, but perfectly acceptable. The store also looked decently-stocked, although it was closed while we were there and most of what I could see from the window was Pringles and Red Bull. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We hiked all the way from Dickson to El Paso in one day (hence no overnight at Los Perros). El Paso is a free campground run by the national park. It’s on a steep slope, so there are only a limited number of campsites on a first come, first serve basis. We go there fairly late in the day and there weren’t many sites left, but the park rangers were very helpful showing us where to camp. If I were staying here, I would try not to roll in too late. The people who got there even later than us camped basically right outside the ranger station building, which is totally fine, but I wouldn’t have wanted to arrive later than them! There’s a three-sided cooking shelter at El Paso which gets crowded around dinner time. The bathroom situation at El Paso was my second least favorite of the trek. Basically it was just a squatter outhouse, but with a concrete floor with a bowl-shaped basin and pipe in the bottom, and a bucket of water inside so you could “flush.” The basin was pretty wide and just sort of hard to use. I tried to avoid it as much as I could.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a short day hiking from El Paso to Grey, and then spent the night there. Grey is a nice place to spend some leisure time because you can walk out to the mirador to view the glacier and see some sweet sedimentary geology. The campground is mostly an open grassy area with a few trees – no shortage of flat camping spots. At Grey you are required to cook in the cooking shelter, which is about ¼ of the size it needs to be. There was a line to wait to get in to cook. I’d eat early if I was staying there again. The store was pretty extensive and had quite a few dinner-ish options. There were also a couple of outlets in the store where people (including us) were charging phones. They accepted credit cards at Grey, and I would assume USD.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I have mixed feelings about Grey because while I enjoyed the open grassy space and the walk out to the mirador, the bathroom situation was a major pain. There were flushing toilets at the service building for the campground, but they were pretty much closed all day (no explanation) and people were told to use the bathrooms at the refugio (hostel/lodge). At the refugio there were only two private bathrooms, so the line was very long at times. I waited 45 minutes just to pee in the morning. With such a large campground, it wasn’t exactly easy to find a private bush, although in hindsight I wish I had just waited until we’d hiked down the trail a ways rather than standing in line for 45 minutes. The toilets for the campground were open just for a few hours in the evening, and we were told there was hot water for the showers between 6 and 8pm. There were two women’s showers, and the line was ridiculously long, but I waited in it and quite possibly got the last hot shower at 7:59. This was also where we first intersected people hiking the W, which is a very different crowd than those doing the O. To hike the O you need to be pretty well-prepared and experienced, but not so for the W. There were people with toiletries bags that wouldn’t have even fit in my backpack, people putting on makeup, brushing their teeth, and washing their faces in the private bathrooms while 10+ people were waiting in line (rather than brushing teeth outside)…I could go on, but my point is that if you’re a grungy backpacker who just wants a quick shower and turn on the toilet, you’re going to be annoyed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We did not camp at Paine Grande, but we did stop and use the cooking shelter for lunch. The cooking shelter was pretty dirty, and the sink was clogged. The bathrooms were nice though and they had showers, I assume with hot water. The Store was also fairly extensive, and even had some wilting produce, eggs, and meat products. Prices looked pretty high though. Paine Grande is open and grassy, so there is no shortage of flat placed to put a tent, but it is notoriously windy. While we were there it was pretty bad, and I’m glad we didn’t stay. We heard a story from the day before of a tent being ripped out of the ground and blown up on a hillside.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">At Paine Grande we made reservations to stay at Italiano, another free park-run campground. Italiano is in the trees and is all dirt, but there didn’t seem to be a shortage of flat places to put your tent. There is three-sided cooking shelter, but it seemed to be okay to cook just outside of it as well. There were easily 100 people camped there when we were. The bathroom situation at Italiano was absolutely the worst of Torres del Paine National Park. We were told to use the bathrooms down the trail, which were flushing toilets…but they looked like they had literally never been cleaned. Total non-starter. The tricky thing about the location of Italiano (and the number of people camped there) is that on one side of the campground/trail is a raging river, and the other is the steep slope of a mountain. It’s a little hard to find a place to avoid using the bathrooms. I’m not sure if I would have stayed here or not had I know how bad the toilets were – on one hand it was free and we were able to scramble up to some private-ish places, but on the other hand, it was really annoying. When we were leaving Italiano I saw there were composting toilets. I have no idea why they weren’t open, and since we were on our way out I didn’t ask. We bypassed Frances completely, but it is an alternative to Italiano that presumably has a better bathroom situation. Frances is on a steep slope though, so I wouldn’t roll in too late for fear of not having a flat place to sleep.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Los Cuernos is also a mixed bag. It’s a biiig campground, but doesn’t have a lot of flat space. We got there around 4 in the afternoon, and still had a hard time finding a place to put our tent. Our best options were a flat spot right next to the trail and the horse stable or a sloping spot next to the bathrooms. We picked the spot that didn’t smell like horse poop. People who got in later than us had to sleep on some really uneven ground. This is the one refugio where I would definitely recommend making a camping reservation if you plan to stay there. The bathrooms at Los Cuernos were nice, but as far as I could tell only get cleaned once/day. With so many people, they basically got trashed by late in the evening and weren’t cleaned until morning. The showers were fine and had hot water. Cooking was only allowed in the cooking shelter which was tiny – once again I would recommend eating early or just being really, really patient. The store at Los Cuernos was surprisingly sparse. They basically had cookies, candy bars, soda, beer, eggs, tuna, and bread. The eggs were pretty cheap, but I paid about $15 for a beer, soda, and two snickers (after six days on the trail I was happy to pay that). We were running low on lunch food by this point, so the snickers and eggs (we hard boiled them) were our solution. They took credit cards here. Los Cuernos is also a major party scene. It has a bar, and they moved it out onto the deck in the evening, with music. There was basically a dance party going on until late late late. If you’re into partying, stay at Los Cuernos. If you’re into sleeping on a flat piece of ground, don’t.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We bypassed Chileno, but we did hike through it on our way to Torres. Chileno has a ton of campsites, but they are very spread out and some are pretty far away from the refugio. The store looked similar to Los Cuernos, although they did sell both veggie and meat pre-made sandwiches for $8. The restaurant looked decent – it was more of a regular restaurant than the other refugios. They took credit cards at Chileno. The bathrooms were fine, but seemed like the same problem as Los Cuernos – not cleaned often-enough. There was also a long line since everybody hiking through wanted to stop and use the bathrooms.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was a little scared of what Torres would be like on both the toilet and flat space fronts, but I was pleasantly surprised on both accounts. Torres is hilly, but there are plenty of flat places to put your tent. It wasn’t very full at all. There were two clean flushing toilets with toilet paper. The cooking shelter was also too small, but good enough. There is no store at Torres, as it is another free park-run campground.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We ended our hike at Las Torres Hotel. There’s a little kiosk store at the bus stop that sells hot dogs with the most amazing freshly-baked rolls a hiker to ask for. The store had a few things, but honestly it wasn’t as extensive as some of the other ones. We ordered sandwiches to go from the restaurant at Las Torres Hotel and ate them on the bus on our way back to El Calafate. They were a little pricey but honestly not all that bad for what we got.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Despite some of the more regrettable toilet situations, we had an absolutely amazing time on this hike. I hope this blog posts helps other people planning the trek. Feel free to comment if you have questions that I didn’t answer.</div>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-9171477627806406542016-02-28T21:02:00.002-08:002016-02-28T21:02:51.911-08:00Hiking in Spring Conditions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNLR9Mos_4E/VtPQCJIe-OI/AAAAAAAAFdk/YsSsDn24c2s/s1600/IMG_8931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNLR9Mos_4E/VtPQCJIe-OI/AAAAAAAAFdk/YsSsDn24c2s/s400/IMG_8931.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max, Emily, and me at the Rainbow Overlook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5uZAVCUZ5hE/VtPQIgofIgI/AAAAAAAAFdo/X4JAi6vfXuY/s1600/IMG_8930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5uZAVCUZ5hE/VtPQIgofIgI/AAAAAAAAFdo/X4JAi6vfXuY/s400/IMG_8930.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />A friend in Seattle once asked me if spring break was a good time to visit Alaska. I said "Sure, as long as you know it's still winter." After being back in Alaska for three years, I have changed my mind. We've barely even had winter the last two years. There are pussy willows out already, many trails are completely snow-free, and today it was 50 degrees at my house. By all accounts, that is spring in Alaska and it is not even March.<br /><br />I hiked on the Turnagain Arm trail this weekend with my friend Emily and her dog Max. It was the first day I've been out and about that really felt like spring. We brought our grippers and expected to find ice but there was only mud. Emily wore long underwear and I wore lined soft shell pants. Both were a mistake. The forecast for the next week is for sun - one more week with no chance of snow. Soon enough it will be real spring and one more year will have passed with only a tiny fraction of our normal snow fall. I hope, like a lot of people, that this is not the new normal.Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-8159138609730245592016-02-15T22:21:00.002-08:002016-02-15T22:21:42.211-08:00Fat Tire Biking to the Cross Cabin AgainMolly and I had such a nice time biking to the Cross Cabin last weekend we decided to go again. &nbsp;This time my Mom and Dad joined us. &nbsp;Dad took the supplies with the snowmachine so our bikes were even lighter than last weekend. &nbsp;Just an inch or so of new snow had fallen making the trail softer but still relatively easy biking.<br /><br />Dad and I got a few jobs done around the cabin and I still had time for a snowmachine ride out to Clear Creek. &nbsp;I enjoyed plotting the trails using the Gaia app on my phone. &nbsp;Sitting around the wood stove with family and chocolate was a was a great way to spend Valentines weekend.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pHJj3056ObQ/VsKz8tmgCSI/AAAAAAAAB34/4XAtzPFZ1Uw/s1600/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pHJj3056ObQ/VsKz8tmgCSI/AAAAAAAAB34/4XAtzPFZ1Uw/s400/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad and I talking about the trails</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gXEg1VDHxt0/VsKz8bRg8bI/AAAAAAAAB30/xC-XRCIhctY/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gXEg1VDHxt0/VsKz8bRg8bI/AAAAAAAAB30/xC-XRCIhctY/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly and I headed out to Talkeetna</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-24013929387821494052016-02-14T21:46:00.001-08:002016-02-14T21:46:08.288-08:00Penguins in Tierra del Fuego<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7C8NseDsiI0/VsFiTpYzwiI/AAAAAAAAFco/AORoFjjy-XI/s1600/IMG_1005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7C8NseDsiI0/VsFiTpYzwiI/AAAAAAAAFco/AORoFjjy-XI/s400/IMG_1005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nesting Magellanic Penguins</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;One of the highlights of our time in Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego (on the Argentine side) was visiting a penguin colony. The colony &nbsp;near Ushuaia is where both Magellanic and Gentoo penguins nest. We were especially lucky because we also got to see six King penguins who just happened to show up earlier in the week. King penquins have colonies elsewhere in Tierra del Fuego, but they don't nest near Ushuaia.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xW7IXYBOAe0/VsFhX4-IunI/AAAAAAAAFcg/sH3_IqXA0pE/s1600/IMG_0965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xW7IXYBOAe0/VsFhX4-IunI/AAAAAAAAFcg/sH3_IqXA0pE/s400/IMG_0965.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />We took a zodiac out to the colony, on an island. It's kind of crazy that people are allowed to walk around (within a roped area) where the penquins are nesting. We were told studies have been done to determine how many human visitors the penquins can tolerate per day and the tours are restricted to that number. The rule is that you're supposed to stay at least two meters away from penguins at all times, but our guide told us the penguins "don't respect this rule." Below is a penguin not respecting our need to walk up the staircase to view more penguins.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pL409eGBMI8/VsFhWcwB8EI/AAAAAAAAFcg/KjCare2vESk/s1600/IMG_0988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pL409eGBMI8/VsFhWcwB8EI/AAAAAAAAFcg/KjCare2vESk/s400/IMG_0988.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oNHdSfZ0gFw/VsFh48_O6uI/AAAAAAAAFcc/1rbeu8XcJXU/s1600/IMG_1008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oNHdSfZ0gFw/VsFh48_O6uI/AAAAAAAAFcc/1rbeu8XcJXU/s400/IMG_1008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />The Magellanic penguins are the small ones with a black stripe around their white front side. They nest in burrows, which they reuse year after year. If they have to dig a new one, it takes them three months! The Gentoo penguins are a little bigger and don't have the black stripe. You can see one King penguin in the photo below, it has yellow around its head. The Kings were pretty comical. The six of them were spread out among the Magellanic and Gentoo penguins sitting perfectly still looking very stoic while the smaller penguins ran around in every direction. Makes me wonder why they chose to go ashore and chill with penguins of another species, rather than any other piece of shore in the Beagle Channel.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uJFnPLDvQfY/VsFhXPw6srI/AAAAAAAAFcg/XfX7jtmAzCI/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uJFnPLDvQfY/VsFhXPw6srI/AAAAAAAAFcg/XfX7jtmAzCI/s320/IMG_0962.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stoic King penguin</td></tr></tbody></table>The Magellanic penguins chicks were 1-2 months old when were there - a funny stage because they are essentially adult-sized but (mostly) still had their down. Some were molting, but they were still pretty adorable.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ru1kr_nDHo/VsFhqQqirFI/AAAAAAAAFcs/CUJ2ZEncKqw/s1600/IMG_0994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ru1kr_nDHo/VsFhqQqirFI/AAAAAAAAFcs/CUJ2ZEncKqw/s400/IMG_0994.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SM9nDaE2tE8/VsFiBToAQGI/AAAAAAAAFc0/hW5Ly20tZBY/s1600/IMG_1012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SM9nDaE2tE8/VsFiBToAQGI/AAAAAAAAFc0/hW5Ly20tZBY/s400/IMG_1012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-4104062069874294692016-02-08T22:17:00.002-08:002016-02-08T22:17:33.599-08:00Fat Tire Biking to the Cross CabinLast year we tried fat tire biking by renting and borrowing bikes to go to the cabin for my birthday. This year we decided it was time to buy our own fat bikes. &nbsp;I bought a KHS 3000 for myself off of craigslist last summer and Molly got her 15" Motobecane Sturgis from Bikes Direct. &nbsp;We then set up both bikes up with 4.7" tires with carbide studs.<br /><br />We had plans to ride our new bikes to the cabin before the holidays but after twisting my knee while skiing and then a bit of late season field work it never happened. &nbsp;So finally last weekend we made it happen. The trail conditions were perfect, hard packed but not icy, with temperatures just below freezing. &nbsp;The bikes performed great and we made good time getting to the cabin.<br /><br />Our friends Wynne and Nicholai also purchased new fat tire bikes this winter and joined us for the weekend. &nbsp;They came in later on Saturday but I was able to send them a GPS track and detailed directions. Molly even sent them photos of some of the intersections. &nbsp;Modern technology can make navigation easy!<br /><br />The conditions were so good that I went for an extra ride with Wynne and Nicholai out to Chase and back to the cabin Sunday morning. &nbsp;It felt like a March day but we were reminded it was still February by the early darkness. &nbsp;Even though it was a clear day, the sun was noticeably low on the horizon.<br /><br />We had so much fun that we are planning on going back again this weekend with my parents. &nbsp;This time it should be even easier as my parents will be able to haul our food and gear on the snow machine.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E5sCj0J7wpM/Vrl_XsN5UKI/AAAAAAAAB3E/Psin_zCqKU8/s1600/IMG_1339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E5sCj0J7wpM/Vrl_XsN5UKI/AAAAAAAAB3E/Psin_zCqKU8/s400/IMG_1339.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly pedaling across the lake with the cabin in the distance.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vi1A9XOjhRY/Vrl_XPymZnI/AAAAAAAAB3A/fNk53VRSwK8/s1600/IMG_8878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vi1A9XOjhRY/Vrl_XPymZnI/AAAAAAAAB3A/fNk53VRSwK8/s400/IMG_8878.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wynne, Nicholai and I getting ready to leave the cabin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fqw3Sq--CtA/Vrl_XjeewfI/AAAAAAAAB3I/F4JcaSMET9Y/s1600/IMG_8879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fqw3Sq--CtA/Vrl_XjeewfI/AAAAAAAAB3I/F4JcaSMET9Y/s400/IMG_8879.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice winter sunshine</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2HNyKtJPKzE/Vrl_elq4AgI/AAAAAAAAB3M/iImGNNWIMz4/s1600/IMG_8886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2HNyKtJPKzE/Vrl_elq4AgI/AAAAAAAAB3M/iImGNNWIMz4/s400/IMG_8886.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the great riding conditions</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-85108821523109250352016-01-29T08:57:00.000-08:002016-01-29T08:57:02.854-08:00More Photos from Fitz Roy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XGPWEl-3d4Q/VquWVHOxR4I/AAAAAAAAFVc/mxsQQ8tDeaw/s1600/IMG_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XGPWEl-3d4Q/VquWVHOxR4I/AAAAAAAAFVc/mxsQQ8tDeaw/s400/IMG_0561.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laguna las Tres and Fitz Roy</td></tr></tbody></table>We've been home for a couple of days and are slowly sorting through the five weeks of photos on our phones. I think I'll do some catch-up posts as I go through them, in chronological order.<br /><br />When we woke up on first morning camping near Fitz Roy and saw that it was so sunny and clear that the granite tors were almost so bright you couldn't look at them, we thought the rest of our trip would be downhill from there. How could it get better than that?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EjJtEMyo6c/VquV9R5ZvyI/AAAAAAAAFVM/77O55KrKMmY/s1600/IMG_0548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EjJtEMyo6c/VquV9R5ZvyI/AAAAAAAAFVM/77O55KrKMmY/s400/IMG_0548.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rUyX6GeCXEU/VquWTubTKMI/AAAAAAAAFVU/-rUK21qkiEs/s1600/IMG_0555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rUyX6GeCXEU/VquWTubTKMI/AAAAAAAAFVU/-rUK21qkiEs/s400/IMG_0555.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />One of the things we loved about the hiking near Fitz Roy was the forests. With so many trees and other plants new to us, it was fun to explore as we hiked. Much of the time, I felt like I was hiking in an enchanted forest. The forested areas had very little brushy undergrowth like they do in Alaska, instead they were blanketed in grasses and flowers.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eDyIEeEhD3I/VquWz-aTLVI/AAAAAAAAFVs/yDZ8o-GOYeM/s1600/IMG_0596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eDyIEeEhD3I/VquWz-aTLVI/AAAAAAAAFVs/yDZ8o-GOYeM/s400/IMG_0596.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Dq2wE8mPAI/VquXCD2eD_I/AAAAAAAAFV8/c0KjOzSdoFQ/s1600/IMG_0605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Dq2wE8mPAI/VquXCD2eD_I/AAAAAAAAFV8/c0KjOzSdoFQ/s400/IMG_0605.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Here was our lovely view of Cerro Torre as the sun set (can you believe people actually climb that?). The next morning it was shrouded in clouds.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1-6D6Png14/VquW_CNhMCI/AAAAAAAAFV0/rwtwgpV-zak/s1600/IMG_0613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1-6D6Png14/VquW_CNhMCI/AAAAAAAAFV0/rwtwgpV-zak/s400/IMG_0613.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JUww5yZyuto/VquXnFSaECI/AAAAAAAAFWE/pgCYlKi3fH4/s1600/IMG_0617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JUww5yZyuto/VquXnFSaECI/AAAAAAAAFWE/pgCYlKi3fH4/s400/IMG_0617.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-82254129587414167432016-01-21T13:33:00.001-08:002016-01-21T13:47:49.332-08:00Cochamo, Chile<span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">When we travel we like to keep our schedule &nbsp;flexible so we can adapt to places we like and venture to destinations as we learn about them. This method of travel has been particularly difficult in Patagonia due to the need to book flights in advance and the business of the peak summer season down here.&nbsp;</span><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br><div>While hiking at Torres Del Paine we learned about a place called Cochamo from a few other Trekkers. It was described to us as the "Yosemity Valley of South America", and a place not yet well known and not overrun by tourists.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>When we retuned from hiking Torres Del Paine we did some research and decided we had to go Cochamo. Lucky we had not made any fixed plans after flying to Puerto Montt. We decided to push other tentative plans aside to see Cochamo for ourselves.&nbsp;</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sPrp0rnpJLo/VqFSApSw9gI/AAAAAAAAB2w/CP9jCPNJqtU/s640/blogger-image--1338477486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sPrp0rnpJLo/VqFSApSw9gI/AAAAAAAAB2w/CP9jCPNJqtU/s640/blogger-image--1338477486.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We made camping reservations and headed in to the valley with plans to spend three nights. It was a four hour hike into the valley along a deeply worn trail. After a few hours we started to catch glimpses of towering granite mountains through the thick forest canopy. When we arrived at the meadows and camping area we were mesmerized by the barren white granite mountains and walls that surrounded us. &nbsp;We pitched our tent and made dinner as the sun drop behind the mountains to the west and the moon rose above a towering wall to the north.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The next two days were spent day hiking on two very memorable trails. The first day we climbed a mountain called Arco Iris. The trail up Arco Iris was labeled difficult, which is fair but what we didn't know was just how steep portions of it would be. The only thing similar I have seen in the states is the trail up Angel's Landing in Zion. &nbsp;A firm grip on the fixed ropes and any available roots was necessary in places to make it up. After a few thousand feet of climbing we found ourselves high above the valley, with stunning views of the other towering mountains and also of more distant volcanoes.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aVoXeRTYdq8/VqFR42qYsjI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/qr7BfEToo3w/s640/blogger-image-726891576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aVoXeRTYdq8/VqFR42qYsjI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/qr7BfEToo3w/s640/blogger-image-726891576.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>The following days hike took us to a place called the Amphitheater, a glacial cirque surrounded on three sides by rock walls thousands of feet tall. &nbsp; We got an "early" start and we on the trail by&nbsp;9am, allowing us to have the trail to ourselves the entire way up. We enjoyed a swim in a small pool at the base of walls and chatted with some rock climbers who were camped in the amphitheater.&nbsp;</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Op85b5MvITo/VqFR9WjbmoI/AAAAAAAAB2o/5SgxhJTabUc/s640/blogger-image--1562265251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Op85b5MvITo/VqFR9WjbmoI/AAAAAAAAB2o/5SgxhJTabUc/s640/blogger-image--1562265251.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I could have spend a few more days in Cochamo but really I was just happy to have heard about this place and been able to fit it into our travels.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m0zsLY-97Ew/VqFR64e0MdI/AAAAAAAAB2g/-fwcQYObHL4/s640/blogger-image-272559830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m0zsLY-97Ew/VqFR64e0MdI/AAAAAAAAB2g/-fwcQYObHL4/s640/blogger-image-272559830.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div>Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-68249671749484287152016-01-20T18:52:00.001-08:002016-01-20T18:52:35.793-08:00Hiking the O in Torres del Paine<span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The big destination of our trip was an eight day trek in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. Like our time near Fitz Roy, the weather did not disappoint. We hike the O, which includes the much more popular W trek.</span><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">There is a lot to say about this trek and the eight days we spent on it, but for now I will just share some highlights.&nbsp;</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">We hiked counter clockwise, starting at Laguna Amarga. The first two days were absolutely lovely - blankets of wildflowers and a well-maintained trail. As a bonus, we hardly saw anyone. Even though there were lots of people hiking the same itinerary, we all spread out during the day.&nbsp;</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o3qJtwQ1m8Y/VqBHTx0eCkI/AAAAAAAAFUM/CBZUs3j8xiI/s640/blogger-image--456455452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o3qJtwQ1m8Y/VqBHTx0eCkI/AAAAAAAAFUM/CBZUs3j8xiI/s640/blogger-image--456455452.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The trek includes a pass infamous for high winds and being socked in. It did not disappoint. It was probably gusting up to 60mph when we passed through. And it was raining. But once you're in it there's really nothing to do but keep going to stay warm. Luckily once you cross the pass it's not far until you drop down into the trees and protection.&nbsp;</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9nx_x_UtY6o/VqBH8cU_0nI/AAAAAAAAFUc/q_rAt2w3xGI/s640/blogger-image-1795183412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9nx_x_UtY6o/VqBH8cU_0nI/AAAAAAAAFUc/q_rAt2w3xGI/s640/blogger-image-1795183412.jpg"></a></div></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Our view of glacier Grey descending the pass was perhaps not what it could have been, but the view from the lake the next day more than made up for it. The fascinating sedimentary geology was an extra bonus.&nbsp;</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V2ey2bHo7-k/VqBHSOoa19I/AAAAAAAAFUE/vS_zGqLC1_c/s640/blogger-image--1836863152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V2ey2bHo7-k/VqBHSOoa19I/AAAAAAAAFUE/vS_zGqLC1_c/s640/blogger-image--1836863152.jpg"></a></div></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The French Valley is a side trip off the O, but absolutely worth it. The view point at the top is breathtaking. The scale of the granite walls all around the valley is overwhelming.&nbsp;</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TlGL6fogXfc/VqBHVlOm7zI/AAAAAAAAFUU/WHMlrn50V5c/s640/blogger-image-270759917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TlGL6fogXfc/VqBHVlOm7zI/AAAAAAAAFUU/WHMlrn50V5c/s640/blogger-image-270759917.jpg"></a></div></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">And of course, the Torres del Paine themselves. Well-worth the last 45 minutes of rock scrambling and hiking to get to them. The dramatic evening light silhouetting the Torres added a special touch. A perfect way to end the O.&nbsp;</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EhiO9DJhQBY/VqBHQZFlRqI/AAAAAAAAFT8/aHshEH33_Zg/s640/blogger-image-1304906558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EhiO9DJhQBY/VqBHQZFlRqI/AAAAAAAAFT8/aHshEH33_Zg/s640/blogger-image-1304906558.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-62650332343355024322016-01-12T17:18:00.001-08:002016-01-12T17:18:23.126-08:00Backpacking near Fitz Roy<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CdR1I27OZoE/VpWlyGFFqHI/AAAAAAAAFS8/xMm-fdX5bdk/s640/blogger-image--1113354111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CdR1I27OZoE/VpWlyGFFqHI/AAAAAAAAFS8/xMm-fdX5bdk/s640/blogger-image--1113354111.jpg"></a></div>Laguna las Tres and Fitz Roy</div><div><br></div><div>We've been having trouble posting to the blog from our phones, finally hoping this post from a week and a half ago works this time...</div><div><br></div><div>Can you say we got lucky with the weather at Monte Fitz Roy? We absolutely could not have asked for a better two days for backpacking in the northern part of Glaciares National Park.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>We started our backpacking trip late in the afternoon on the 30th and camped at a backcountry campground just before the ascent to Lagunas Los Tres (pictured above). After we hiked to Lagunas Los Tres the next morning, we continued up Cerro Madsen, for which we had gotten a permit the day before. It's not a technical climb, but it did involve some rock scrambling and snow. It was a challenge but got us away from the crowds. We only saw/talked to a handful of other people who climbed Madsen that day - among them a guy on skis!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vfWPjNwxLNs/VpWl3SxQh8I/AAAAAAAAFTM/J_HPfgnbppg/s640/blogger-image-397978218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vfWPjNwxLNs/VpWl3SxQh8I/AAAAAAAAFTM/J_HPfgnbppg/s640/blogger-image-397978218.jpg"></a></div><div>Hiking up Cerro Madsen</div><div><br></div><div>We didn't quite go to the top, but we found a spot to eat lunch with an outstanding view of Fitz Roy. We could even see some mountaineers descending on a glacier in the distance.&nbsp;</div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eo0-cmkmKbs/VpWlv3EA4JI/AAAAAAAAFS0/_3qPDzxNXnA/s640/blogger-image--1010204274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eo0-cmkmKbs/VpWlv3EA4JI/AAAAAAAAFS0/_3qPDzxNXnA/s640/blogger-image--1010204274.jpg"></a></div>View of Fitz Roy from Cerro Madsen</div><div><div><br></div><div>After our descent we packed up our camp at 5:30pm and headed over to a campground in another valley - the Alaskan way - frantically doing as much as possible while there is both daylight and good weather! We rolled into the campground around 9pm but were treated to a mostly empty trail and stunning views of Cerro Torre. We were certainly glad we went for the evening camp move because this morning Torre was socked in. I felt guilty that we had such luck as we passed hundreds of people hiking in.&nbsp;</div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VnH6512nOv8/VpWl0o_5nFI/AAAAAAAAFTE/lPDdbs3qu6U/s640/blogger-image--2083881115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VnH6512nOv8/VpWl0o_5nFI/AAAAAAAAFTE/lPDdbs3qu6U/s640/blogger-image--2083881115.jpg"></a></div></div><div>Cerro Torre</div>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-92176229728100237382015-12-20T19:00:00.002-08:002015-12-20T19:00:44.580-08:00Winter BikingTomorrow we leave for Montana and from there on to Patagonia. &nbsp;I am looking forward to warmer weather and long days. &nbsp;Here in southcentral Alaska we are in the depths of winter. &nbsp;OK, technically it is still fall but really it is winter. &nbsp;It's cold and the days a short. &nbsp;These last two weeks I have been taking a leave of absence from work which has given me a great opportunity to put some miles on my fat bike.<br /><br />Recently I have ridden at Government Peak Rec Area, Jim Creek, Matanuska Lake State Park, South Fork of Campbell Creek, and twice on Eagle River. &nbsp;Today was my biggest ride yet and I really wasn't planning on it. &nbsp;I took off from home and headed up the frozen Eagle River. &nbsp;I followed some older bike tracks and newer ski tracks. &nbsp;I was only planning on a hour or so of riding but my ambition got the better of me. &nbsp;I just kept thinking "maybe a little father" &nbsp;and "I wonder what's around the next corner". &nbsp;Well, I will tell you what is around the next corner, more river! &nbsp;Eventually I came across some fresher bike tracks, someone who had come down the river from somewhere else. &nbsp;I started wondering where they had started, and after I checked my map I set my goal of reaching the next river access point. &nbsp;My little ride turned into a 17 miles and three hours. &nbsp;I felt spent but accomplished. &nbsp;What a treat it is to access the Chugach State Park from my front door. &nbsp;Riding on the river is perfect for my fat bike and great exercise in a beautiful place. &nbsp;Maybe next time I will try to ride all the way to the Eagle River Nature Center! &nbsp;Who's in?<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f9LL2ax7p14/Vndoo2c6nUI/AAAAAAAAB1c/-c7lWZU2uhw/s1600/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f9LL2ax7p14/Vndoo2c6nUI/AAAAAAAAB1c/-c7lWZU2uhw/s400/IMG_0397.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bike at Government Peak Rec. Area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4I7-ZVjJe7A/VndoSHvlymI/AAAAAAAAB1U/tnj7vbXKTCY/s1600/IMG_0401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4I7-ZVjJe7A/VndoSHvlymI/AAAAAAAAB1U/tnj7vbXKTCY/s400/IMG_0401.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly riding on Eagle River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V6MkC8odi14/Vndn0ZBTM1I/AAAAAAAAB1M/HDoAlQkmCOU/s1600/IMG_0412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V6MkC8odi14/Vndn0ZBTM1I/AAAAAAAAB1M/HDoAlQkmCOU/s400/IMG_0412.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Lake looking towards the Kink Glacier</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jVO6cqjbYeE/VndpmDb49MI/AAAAAAAAB10/Vk47kP-T9wk/s1600/IMG_0436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jVO6cqjbYeE/VndpmDb49MI/AAAAAAAAB10/Vk47kP-T9wk/s400/IMG_0436.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Russ riding on a lake at Matanuska Lake State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Kc0mb_fsvE/VndpXIJxf3I/AAAAAAAAB1k/sxi9Fmz-gN8/s1600/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Kc0mb_fsvE/VndpXIJxf3I/AAAAAAAAB1k/sxi9Fmz-gN8/s400/IMG_0444.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen Eagle River</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnmEgKN0wOs/Vndpjh88nSI/AAAAAAAAB1s/ENbU14LXybo/s1600/IMG_8660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnmEgKN0wOs/Vndpjh88nSI/AAAAAAAAB1s/ENbU14LXybo/s400/IMG_8660.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving home from my 17 mile ride on Eagle River</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-25693397337306411122015-11-29T23:21:00.005-08:002015-11-29T23:22:10.977-08:00Underwater Search in HusliaI recently took a four day trip to Huslia, Alaska in an attempt to help the village locate a local man &nbsp;who fell through the ice on the Koyukuk River. &nbsp;For the second time this year I found myself mixing my search and rescue skills with my career as a marine geophysicist. &nbsp;This time it was more like work than volunteer as TerraSond was hired by the Huslia Tribal Council to provide technical equipment and software with an operator and data processor (me). &nbsp; A little more than a day after the initial call I was on my way to Fairbanks where I picked up the side scan sonar and then caught a flight with Wright Air on a Cessna Caravan to Huslia. <br /><br />Huslia is an Athabascan village of about 300 people on the Koyukuk River. &nbsp;When I arrived the man had fallen through the ice over a week prior. &nbsp;People had come from all around and there were somewhere between 30 and 50 people helping with the search. &nbsp;Within a few hours of arriving I was on the river with a team of assistants. &nbsp;My assistants would lower the side scan sonar through slots in the ice and then tow the sonar along and pull a sled along side while I operated the computer. &nbsp;After a few hours the sun went down and I headed back to the community hall for dinner. &nbsp;I spent the evening reviewing the sonar data.<br /><br />The second day was similar with temperatures hovering around freezing; we covered a lot of ground. &nbsp;By the end of the second day we had surveyed a section of the river 1400ft long by 400ft wide. &nbsp;That night the temperatures dropped and when I returned to the river the next morning it was 15 degrees below zero. &nbsp;Maybe it was the temperature, maybe it was something else, but that morning the sonar would not power up properly. &nbsp;I spent all day trying to fix it and eventually, after several conversations with a technician at the manufacturer, we determined it was not field fixable. &nbsp;So, after only a day and half of searching it was done, and its not like you can get another highly specialized sonar on Thanksgiving Day in Huslia, or anywhere in Alaska for that matter.<br /><br />On my last day in Huslia, I trained a few of the local guys to use a recreational grade sonar that can make similar, but lower quality, images of the river bottom. &nbsp;I wish the community the best of luck in their search.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-exF8BDs25i4/Vlv2Dm4LR4I/AAAAAAAAB0w/k_N14RDqmDI/s1600/IMG_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-exF8BDs25i4/Vlv2Dm4LR4I/AAAAAAAAB0w/k_N14RDqmDI/s400/IMG_0303.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out over the Koyukuk River</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5iNibDsGv4/Vlv1vx8oykI/AAAAAAAAB0U/V7nOMGEPR10/s1600/IMG_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5iNibDsGv4/Vlv1vx8oykI/AAAAAAAAB0U/V7nOMGEPR10/s400/IMG_0312.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling the sonar along slots cut in the river ice</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N5wfP_knWGM/Vlv1xI0Le2I/AAAAAAAAB0c/Qmg21oAP1NY/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N5wfP_knWGM/Vlv1xI0Le2I/AAAAAAAAB0c/Qmg21oAP1NY/s400/IMG_0317.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group helping me review the sonar data</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JoeHwn3Uxuw/Vlv2AfTW7aI/AAAAAAAAB0k/o9dQu2OByn0/s1600/IMG_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JoeHwn3Uxuw/Vlv2AfTW7aI/AAAAAAAAB0k/o9dQu2OByn0/s400/IMG_0332.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Huslia Community Hall</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NFcZ0Hi854I/Vlv2BYN2QrI/AAAAAAAAB0s/WlrqhClyziI/s1600/IMG_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NFcZ0Hi854I/Vlv2BYN2QrI/AAAAAAAAB0s/WlrqhClyziI/s400/IMG_0334.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonar opened up for repair</td></tr></tbody></table>Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-25281035497173388672015-11-29T12:26:00.000-08:002015-11-29T12:26:13.401-08:00Winter Jellies<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eIXcYxWkR7w/VllDsFDUWPI/AAAAAAAAFRI/4GJ9X9yeu-w/s1600/IMG_8577%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eIXcYxWkR7w/VllDsFDUWPI/AAAAAAAAFRI/4GJ9X9yeu-w/s400/IMG_8577%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowberries</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fISc_xlh2Vw/VllDrN7VVMI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/iZ19mldZAK0/s1600/IMG_8581%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fISc_xlh2Vw/VllDrN7VVMI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/iZ19mldZAK0/s400/IMG_8581%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberries and Rhubarb</td></tr></tbody></table>While I was taking things out of the freezer for Thanksgiving I took the opportunity to take stock of the berries and rhubarb left in there. The total was four gallons of blueberries (that's after two or three batches of blueberry jam last fall), two gallons of rhubarb, and a gallon of crowberries I had no idea were in there. We like having blueberries in the freezer throughout the year for baking and smoothies, but we don't need four gallons. Crowberries, however, aren't good for much except jelly (or juice) because of their seeds and bitter skin. So, I made crowberry jelly. I have so much blueberry jam thought that I decided to try a new combination and make blueberry rhubarb jelly. It's a tasty one - and dark - it was hard to tell the crowberry apart from the blueberry/rhubarb once they were in the jars! These will probably be my last batches of jelly and jam before next summer. I think we have enough to make it until then...<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWC_VgBRrn8/VltfOqyC95I/AAAAAAAAFRY/_7Szti1_bs0/s1600/IMG_8582%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWC_VgBRrn8/VltfOqyC95I/AAAAAAAAFRY/_7Szti1_bs0/s400/IMG_8582%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our stock of jam and jelly before I made these two batches</td></tr></tbody></table>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-88560943982311430062015-11-23T22:26:00.002-08:002015-11-23T22:26:32.730-08:00Patagonia Trip Planning: T-Minus 5 WeeksIn five weeks we will be in Patagonia! Time is ticking though - most of our weekends until then are filled with holidays and outdoorsy adventures and in four weeks we leave for Montana to visit my sister and brother-in-law (a stop on the way to South America). We have buckled down and penciled out a rough itinerary for our trip. With an entire month, there is plenty of space to fill.<br /><br />For the most part we will travel on a shoestring as we usually do, but Patagonia is a vast place (and I say that as someone from Alaska!) and it appears to be well-worth it to arrange some inter-continental flights ahead of time to avoid multiple 20+ hour bus rides. I've been watching prices for months and they only seem to be climbing.<br /><br />I finally decided it was time to bite the bullet, as far as both price and having dates we have to stick to in our otherwise fluid plans. Our flight routes are Buenos Aires to El Calafate, then El Calafate to Ushuaia, and then Punta Arenas to Puerto Montt. By far the most expensive leg of this trip would be Buenos Aires to El Calafate (especially because our flights to and from South America were on miles). Whenever I find a brilliant deal on travel arrangements, I have a little ping of regret that I didn't follow a career as a travel agent. But then again when your hobbies become your work, you tend to not enjoy them as much as when you did them for leisure. But whose to say I couldn't be happy as a travel agent doing archaeology as a hobby? Now there's something to think about!<br /><br />My brilliant idea was to use Delta miles to fly from Buenos Aires to El Calafate. We didn't quite have enough, but even with buying the extra miles we saved about $150. And then I had a thought to search for a multi city ticket for the next two legs, and for some reason that can only be explained by the crazy inner workings of the interwebz, it was $90 cheaper per person to do it as multi city ticket rather than two separate one way tickets.<br /><br />I also learned two important things about travel search engines during this extensive flights search: Kayak is the best, do not waste your time with Google Flights or Sky Scanner.Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-46869475954149209062015-11-15T22:08:00.001-08:002015-11-15T22:08:09.594-08:00CoyoteWhile driving back from Haines last week I snapped a few great photos of a coyote. &nbsp;I must say, I got really lucky. The sun was out and there was this coyote, just standing in the fresh snow along side of road. &nbsp;He was aware of us but seemed not to give much care. &nbsp;He just stood there looking around intently while we backed up and watched. &nbsp;I had my good camera in the front seat of the truck so with my coworking driving all I had to do was roll down the window to be in the perfect spot to snap these photos. &nbsp;What a great opportunity. &nbsp;The only other wildlife we spotted on the drive was a lone caribou just outside of Glennallen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z62h_VVp-GA/VklyAWi3cmI/AAAAAAAABz8/KtyD2FqhEj0/s1600/IMG_9655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z62h_VVp-GA/VklyAWi3cmI/AAAAAAAABz8/KtyD2FqhEj0/s640/IMG_9655.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FU2V57jmzgc/Vklx_A5yqXI/AAAAAAAABz0/AKRvDl-JYN0/s1600/IMG_9658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FU2V57jmzgc/Vklx_A5yqXI/AAAAAAAABz0/AKRvDl-JYN0/s640/IMG_9658.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-20614435348515757282015-11-09T21:53:00.001-08:002015-11-09T21:53:50.464-08:00Brand New Fat Tire Bike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5cWfaYH7r0/VkGFLzDtGjI/AAAAAAAAFPw/aA5bvLHqLLI/s1600/unnamed%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5cWfaYH7r0/VkGFLzDtGjI/AAAAAAAAFPw/aA5bvLHqLLI/s400/unnamed%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marta on Powerline trail</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ivd1naimts/VkGFQJrN4jI/AAAAAAAAFP8/zwSU2P92nIY/s1600/IMG_8524%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ivd1naimts/VkGFQJrN4jI/AAAAAAAAFP8/zwSU2P92nIY/s400/IMG_8524%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time on my fat bike!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XiAgvx5AEDk/VkGFHdb5gtI/AAAAAAAAFPs/OAIkCMAJmj0/s1600/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XiAgvx5AEDk/VkGFHdb5gtI/AAAAAAAAFPs/OAIkCMAJmj0/s400/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot drink break time</td></tr></tbody></table>My new toy for this winter is a fat tire bike (you may not be surprised to know that Ryan also bought one, but he's in the field right now). After our first decent snow I took it out for the first time on Saturday with my friend Marta. What a perfect crystal clear day - it made it hard to imagine that it would snow on Sunday!<br /><br />We had a great time on Powerline Trail - perfect snow conditions. I'm still trying to figure out the best clothing and footwear for biking in cold weather. I was on the right track with the clothes and snowboarding helmet, but I must wear the real winter boots next time!Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-53101229187605562182015-11-01T20:58:00.001-08:002015-11-01T20:58:16.330-08:00Halloween PartyDespite only getting one trick or treater, Halloween was a success thanks to some awesome friends. Ryan missed the fun due to fieldwork, but I wasn't about to let that dampen my enthusiasm for the best holiday ever. <br /><br />When I decided to be the girl on the Morton Salt container, I found a sweet yellow dress for $12 on Amazon, but low and behold, they would not ship it to Alaska. I settled for a yellow skirt and a yellow cardigan I already owned. Finding white tights was a total bust. I could not find any in Eagle River. And I thought the white tights would be the easiest part!<br /><br />Like a real pro I waited to go shopping for my party until Halloween morning. The good thing was anything Halloween-related was on clearance. The bad thing was there wasn't much of it. <br /><br />The thing I love about Halloween is that the creativity is endless. You could literally be any thing or person under the sun. Or, you could put a white sheet over your head and call it good. <br /><br />This year my claim to fame is that Hillary Clinton played corn hole at my house.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=15/11/01/604.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/15/11/01/s_604.jpg' border='0' width='280' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />The Joker<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=15/11/01/605.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/15/11/01/s_605.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='280' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Joker and the Morton Salt girl<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=15/11/01/606.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/15/11/01/s_606.jpg' border='0' width='280' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Miss Piggy and Hillary Clinton playing corn hole<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=15/11/01/607.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/15/11/01/s_607.jpg' border='0' width='280' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Road kill and a 40's pin up girl - playing corn hole in those heals deserves serious props<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=15/11/01/608.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/15/11/01/s_608.jpg' border='0' width='280' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-9364142649081069872015-10-19T22:40:00.000-07:002015-10-19T23:12:49.092-07:00Fall Hiking With My New Iphone CameraI recently upgraded to the new iphone 6S plus. &nbsp;As usual the camera has gotten better. &nbsp;An iphone is still not replacement for Digital SLR with a good lens but it does impress me on occasion, especially compared to the early days of camera phones. &nbsp;This weekend we headed up our local trail to Mile Hi Pass and along the alpine ridges. &nbsp;We hiked above the fog and enjoyed views of the Alaska Range. &nbsp;Despite a gray day I still snapped a few decent photos with the new camera.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o7HuT9vUcSc/ViXQYkW0xfI/AAAAAAAABzM/JldMErfa3XM/s1600/IMG_0142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o7HuT9vUcSc/ViXQYkW0xfI/AAAAAAAABzM/JldMErfa3XM/s400/IMG_0142.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fog filled Eagle River Valley</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PelNRw6HaKc/ViXQE3PP-mI/AAAAAAAABzE/RIRmlTWl04U/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PelNRw6HaKc/ViXQE3PP-mI/AAAAAAAABzE/RIRmlTWl04U/s400/IMG_0144.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not a true summit but the views from this point are great</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7PuQ8DRhdHE/ViXP7xoJ3RI/AAAAAAAABy8/9xskEp7yQEQ/s1600/IMG_0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7PuQ8DRhdHE/ViXP7xoJ3RI/AAAAAAAABy8/9xskEp7yQEQ/s400/IMG_0145.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun was shining brightly on the snow covered Alaska Range<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My new iphone is in a water proof case so am not afraid to take it hiking in the rain. &nbsp;While I was in Sikta last week I took this photo in the rainforest. &nbsp;Again not the best lighting but I thought the iphone did well.</div></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot-LvpPOqKQ/ViXSJWR3RdI/AAAAAAAABzY/jnI6Rn1hCF0/s1600/IMG_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot-LvpPOqKQ/ViXSJWR3RdI/AAAAAAAABzY/jnI6Rn1hCF0/s400/IMG_0113.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking in the rainforest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-71363721478692322562015-10-18T18:48:00.002-07:002015-10-18T18:59:45.066-07:00Watering Holes of Katmai<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EA_7NH8fcN0/ViRHEyePf3I/AAAAAAAAFNg/_svZ_MtTKCo/s1600/IMG_7198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EA_7NH8fcN0/ViRHEyePf3I/AAAAAAAAFNg/_svZ_MtTKCo/s400/IMG_7198.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John filling up on our descent from the Katmai Caldera</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I went back through my Katmai photos recently and found more good ones that I never had the chance to share on the blog. The first few are of places we got water. By the end of June the central Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is parched. The search and planning for water was a central activity that took up both mental and physical space for us while we were there.<br /><br />There are often still snow patches near the huts in June, but since it was such a low snow year, we did not expect much and we were correct. We were also not prepared to melt a lot of snow with our choice of stoves (Jet Boils). On our way into the valley, we filled up at the last clear stream coming from the Buttress Range before we crossed the River Lethe (the Lethe and Knife rivers are both very silty, and we wanted to avoid filtering that water if we could).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMCDPQnHj_0/ViRG-vLrxZI/AAAAAAAAFNc/XgcOvRwvq6k/s1600/IMG_7137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMCDPQnHj_0/ViRG-vLrxZI/AAAAAAAAFNc/XgcOvRwvq6k/s400/IMG_7137.JPG" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clear stream flowing from the Buttress Range into the Lethe</td></tr></tbody></table>On our second day, we planned to fill up on water on our way down from Katmai Crater. While we could have filled up at the bottom, we could not pass up the pristine mountain water cascading off the rocks above - no filtering needed! At that point we did not know if we would find water the next day when we planned to visit Novarupta, so we filled as many containers as we could, including a gallon-size ziplock bag! In total I think we were carrying around 17 liters between the four of us.<br /><br />While we were at Novarupta we did look for water, hoping to fill up just enough that we could more liberally use our supply. After a little searching and John's astute hearing, we found a little trickle below snow and ice.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D7-qNZWpbcY/ViRHJjKOEjI/AAAAAAAAFNs/KMVyiplJpN8/s1600/IMG_7259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D7-qNZWpbcY/ViRHJjKOEjI/AAAAAAAAFNs/KMVyiplJpN8/s400/IMG_7259.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling up near Novarupta</td></tr></tbody></table>Now I will tell you the painful part of our water-saga. As we returned to the huts from Novarupta, we stumbled upon a perfectly usable trickle of water coming from an insignificant snow patch, only 15 minutes from the huts. The snow patch was so small I would never have suspected it had enough melt to produce any sort of stream. The stream only ran for maybe 100 feet before it dried up, and we had simply crossed the valley too far below to know there was running water there earlier. It's a bit embarrassing to tell this story, but I hope someone else heading into the Valley can gain some insight from our mistakes and take the time to poke around looking for water before lugging 17 liters across the valley.<br /><br />Once we left the huts and headed to Mageik Lakes, through the pass, and toward the coast, collecting clear water was a breeze.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Te8ztfIWyH0/ViRHOVSAeQI/AAAAAAAAFN0/ked95Mj3bLo/s1600/IMG_7280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Te8ztfIWyH0/ViRHOVSAeQI/AAAAAAAAFN0/ked95Mj3bLo/s320/IMG_7280.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filtering water at the outlet of one of the Mageik Lakes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-j829Jpofc/ViRHRrt82uI/AAAAAAAAFN8/xkX4K7mWBaM/s1600/IMG_7362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-j829Jpofc/ViRHRrt82uI/AAAAAAAAFN8/xkX4K7mWBaM/s400/IMG_7362.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling up in the Katmai River Valley</td></tr></tbody></table>Molly Odellhttps://plus.google.com/106716742500345636430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-91194840863194943512015-10-10T20:03:00.000-07:002015-10-18T18:59:59.837-07:00Mt. EklutnaIt's not too late for a hike in the mountains. &nbsp;If fact, with the right gear you can hike in the Chugach almost any time of year. &nbsp;With the mild temperatures and a receding snowline we decided to return to one of our favorite hikes. &nbsp;The Bear Point to Mt. Eklutna hike has some of the the best view from the front range of the Chugach even on a cloudy day like today. &nbsp;From the Big Peters Creek trailhead we took the trail up to Bear Point and then continued up the ridge to Mt. Eklutna descending the Mt. Eklutna trail. &nbsp;There are still a few trees with fall colors but for the most part the leaves were down. &nbsp;The nice thing about the leaves being down is you can see clearly into the woods. &nbsp;This time I spotted a camper in the woods I had never seen before. &nbsp;I suspect this eerie old camper trailer was someone's hunting camp many years ago.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u8BF-5TPynE/VhnOZXm5wtI/AAAAAAAAByU/aJq8G3LDbZ4/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u8BF-5TPynE/VhnOZXm5wtI/AAAAAAAAByU/aJq8G3LDbZ4/s320/IMG_0045.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this trailhead sign</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ol-SOs05mI0/VhnOSHx0eBI/AAAAAAAAByE/yoKLMt8Vxb8/s1600/IMG_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ol-SOs05mI0/VhnOSHx0eBI/AAAAAAAAByE/yoKLMt8Vxb8/s320/IMG_0053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly and Mary Kate at Bear Point</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lapuwkPRyRg/VhnOVLuQafI/AAAAAAAAByM/fdvdWKCQVuA/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lapuwkPRyRg/VhnOVLuQafI/AAAAAAAAByM/fdvdWKCQVuA/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view towards Anchorage from Mt. Eklutna</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZmOZhDVL3g/VhnOnWWbx5I/AAAAAAAAByc/T7pmnff5JxA/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZmOZhDVL3g/VhnOnWWbx5I/AAAAAAAAByc/T7pmnff5JxA/s320/IMG_0059.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creepy camper in the woods</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XXwTG8btK20/VhnOogAlNEI/AAAAAAAAByk/7Ki_HvCr3-4/s1600/IMG_8333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XXwTG8btK20/VhnOogAlNEI/AAAAAAAAByk/7Ki_HvCr3-4/s320/IMG_8333.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaf Kabobs</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137064523721919849.post-74987788479472532992015-09-20T22:23:00.002-07:002015-09-20T22:23:33.379-07:00Akun IslandLast week I took a quick trip to Akun Island in the Aleutians. &nbsp;We chartered a plane from Anchorage and were gone for only four nights. &nbsp;As usual, the Aleutians did not disappoint with spectacular views, interesting beaches, and archaeological sites. &nbsp;With a little luck we had a break in the weather, and were able to perform our hydrographic survey from the little inflatable boat we brought with us. &nbsp;Here are a few of my photos.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QpOiiZYRiTw/Vf-RkxPUnGI/AAAAAAAABxA/Dc1x44gQccs/s1600/IMG_4386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QpOiiZYRiTw/Vf-RkxPUnGI/AAAAAAAABxA/Dc1x44gQccs/s400/IMG_4386.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artifacts we found lying exposed on the ground in a circle of cobles</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfXfziMPF6c/Vf-RnQ2qhZI/AAAAAAAABxI/NaYzPBnLNA0/s1600/IMG_4390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfXfziMPF6c/Vf-RnQ2qhZI/AAAAAAAABxI/NaYzPBnLNA0/s400/IMG_4390.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach vegetation making art in the wind</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yTFYy4_zio8/Vf-RfEWnqeI/AAAAAAAABw4/gYtMLYDdt5E/s1600/IMG_4398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yTFYy4_zio8/Vf-RfEWnqeI/AAAAAAAABw4/gYtMLYDdt5E/s400/IMG_4398.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to launch the boat and go survey</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VYNnI5h5aVQ/Vf-Rv2c7Z7I/AAAAAAAABxQ/J0SylcgI6GY/s1600/IMG_4414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VYNnI5h5aVQ/Vf-Rv2c7Z7I/AAAAAAAABxQ/J0SylcgI6GY/s400/IMG_4414.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric standing in a Aleut house pit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-11AoXkuaPxw/Vf-SJNNphuI/AAAAAAAABxo/cYoLN_BxgYk/s1600/IMG_4426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-11AoXkuaPxw/Vf-SJNNphuI/AAAAAAAABxo/cYoLN_BxgYk/s400/IMG_4426.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beachcombing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0CwypzRy_Ac/Vf-SDiV55cI/AAAAAAAABxg/_9KsMEmzYxI/s1600/IMG_4429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0CwypzRy_Ac/Vf-SDiV55cI/AAAAAAAABxg/_9KsMEmzYxI/s400/IMG_4429.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East end of Surf Bay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eu3Nk3qzv70/Vf-R-6dweAI/AAAAAAAABxY/djQU-jYkxxQ/s1600/IMG_4441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eu3Nk3qzv70/Vf-R-6dweAI/AAAAAAAABxY/djQU-jYkxxQ/s400/IMG_4441.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our chartered flight. &nbsp;A Pilatus PC-12</td></tr></tbody></table></div>Ryan Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02107454305827909974noreply@blogger.com0Akun Island, Alaska, USA54.191288099999987 -165.552337453.894084099999986 -166.1977844 54.488492099999988 -164.9068904